Today, Monday, Saudi Arabian Airlines (government) announced the purchase of 105 narrow-body Airbus aircraft from Airbus, in an order described as “historic.”
The company said – in a statement – “The Saudi Group announced the largest aircraft deal in the history of Saudi aviation with Airbus,” and added, “This historic agreement includes 105 confirmed aircraft,” on the first day of the “Future of Aviation” forum held in Riyadh.
The company considered that the order “represents an important moment, not only for the Saudi aviation industry, but also for the Middle East and North Africa region on a broader scale.”
The statement stated that Saudi Airlines will receive 54 A321neo aircraft, while Flyadeal, a low-cost airline company (a subsidiary of the group), will receive 12 A320neo aircraft and 39 A321neo aircraft. A321neo.
In a report today, the Saudi Press Agency described the deal as one of the largest aircraft purchase deals in the world, and said that the deal aims to expand and modernize the company’s fleet and enhance air connectivity with countries around the world.
Neither the Saudia Group nor Airbus revealed the value of the deal, but the Future of Aviation conference held in Riyadh, which witnessed the announcement of the order, said that the record Saudi order is worth $19 billion, according to what Reuters reported.
For his part, the General Manager of the Saudi Group, Ibrahim Al-Omar, said that the delivery of the aircraft is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2026, with the last of them to be delivered in 2032.
On the other hand, Airbus said – in a statement – that the total number of Airbus aircraft to be delivered to the Saudi Group now amounts to 144 A320neo aircraft.
Large investments
The large order – the value of which was not disclosed – confirms the significant investment that Riyadh is pumping into the aviation sector, more than a year after launching a new airline under the name “Riyadh Air,” says a report by Agence France-Presse.
The Saudi authorities also announced plans to build a huge new airport in the capital, Riyadh, capable of accommodating 120 million passengers annually.
Before the deal was announced on Monday, Saudi Airlines had a fleet of 144 aircraft, while Flyadeal had 32 aircraft.
The state-owned carrier is expected to increasingly focus its operations from Jeddah, once Riyadh Air begins its flights, which is expected next year.
Riyadh Airlines, which was unveiled in March 2023, announced an agreement to purchase 39 Boeing Dreamliner aircraft, with an option to purchase 33 more aircraft.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is also launching “NEOM Airlines”, to be based in the planned future city in the north of the Kingdom.
